UAE colleges witness an academic resurgence

Apart from the usual buzz of young energy, gaiety and high fashion, a marked increase in the student population and the introduction of new courses were some of the additional highlights of the reopening of university campuses around UAE for the new academic year 2013-2014. The week was marked with welcome week, student and parent orientation programmes at University of Sharjah (UOS), American University of Sharjah (AUS) and American University in Dubai (AUD) while the Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) which houses more than 27 academic institutions with international affiliations will hold its welcome week at the from September 29th — October 2nd when all of its institutions will have opened for the new academic year.

Welcoming the students at AUD Dr Lance de Masi, President of the institution spoke of the twelve “musts” for success at AUD and beyond: “Do your best, Listen, Develop self-reliance, Stand out, Respect others, Seek balance, Be open to change, Develop thick skin, Assume responsibility, Consume books, Learn to laugh, Dream, and Have fun! If you already have a dream, we’ll help you turn it into reality; and if you don’t have any dreams, we’ll help you get a few!”
Dr Samy Mahmoud chancellor of the University of Sharjah pointed out that this year the student population had risen to 3,405 marking a 20 per cent increase in the students since last year.

Describing the learning at AUS as a “once- in –a-lifetime opportunity, Dr Thomas Hochstettler the acting Chancellor of AUS welcomed the students at the AUS orientation on September 6. He said: “We at AUS believe that a truly educated person should engage in the examination of the act of learning itself, and the best way to do that is actually to immerse oneself in different modes of learning. That is why we require everyone, including students in business, engineering, and the natural sciences, to take courses in the humanities, in philosophy and literature. And it is why we require students in the humanities and social sciences to study mathematics and the natural sciences. This is not an exercise in intellectual dabbling or dilettantism. On the contrary, it is an exercise in engaging in the analysis of the very structure of knowledge itself, in all its myriad forms. We try to give you a broad sampling of the great varieties of human cognitive experience so that you will be prepared in later life more readily to succeed. Our 360 faculty are unsurpassed in terms of their ability, individually and collectively, and are there to provide you with the tools for rapid success in whatever career you may choose.”

AUS has witnessed the augmentation of the student population by 1,400 this year which marks a 15 per cent increase while AUD announced the joining of an additional 600 students. DIAC which had a student population of 20, 384 until the last academic year is expecting a rise but the final figures for the new academic year will not be compiled until the year end said a DIAC spokesperson.

Most universities have announced the addition of exciting new courses and new degrees in a variety of disciplines this year. DIAC has announced the addition of 35 new degrees — 11 undergraduate, 17 post graduate and 7 doctorate — bringing the total number of degrees at the DIAC campus to 355. The 35 new degrees will be added in subjects as varied as tourism and hospitality, engineering and accounting to name a few. News of the new programmes follows a record year at Dubai International Academic City, which has seen the likes of the University of Wollongong Dubai, Middlesex University and Amity University significantly increase their presence in Dubai owing to an increase in student enrolment numbers.

Dr Ayoub Kazim, managing director of DIAC remarked “We are delighted to see our universities expanding the number of programmes on offer in 2013/14 — particularly STEM subjects such as engineering, along with tourism and hospitality and accounting. We see this as a sure sign that the higher education sector in the region is responding to the demands of local industry and providing a range of programmes that not only educate local students, but increase their prospects of employment upon graduation.”

AUS has also announced an exciting new course in accounting — Master of Science in Accounting. This will be integrated with the AUS Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) programme in accounting so that the students can complete the BSBA and the MSA in five years of continuous study.

Gulf News Read more: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/education/uae-colleges-witness-an-academic-resurgence-1.1228746